In the final weeks of his administration, Mayor Eric Adams is laying down another political tripwire for his successor. This time, it�s at the NYPD�s oversight agency.

Adams has quietly appointed former journalist Pat Smith � a favorite of police unions and a reliably pro-law enforcement vote on the Civilian Complaint Review Board � as the CCRB�s interim chair.

While Smith is unlikely to initiate major policy shifts before Adams leaves office on Jan. 1, the appointment could create an immediate political headache for mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani, who campaigned on overhauling police discipline and curbing NYPD authority.

Smith�s elevation means that one of Mamdani�s first official acts could be firing him � an early, highly symbolic confrontation with police unions that have already signaled deep mistrust of the incoming mayor. Those unions signed off on Smith�s appointment, and ousting him would almost certainly set off a backlash.

Mamdani has had a strained relationship with the NYPD from the start. During the campaign, he was forced to walk back comments suggesting the CCRB � not the police commissioner � should have the final say on officer discipline. Now, his administration will begin with a CCRB chair aligned with the very institutions he has promised to rein in.

Smith, an ex-New York Post editor, was one of only three CCRB members who sided with officers in last year�s fatal shooting of Win Rozario, a mentally ill Queens man. That record has made him a reliable ally for police unions, which have openly praised his appointment.

�Pat Smith�s voting record demonstrates that he is one of the few CCRB board members willing to review cases fairly and independently,� PBA President Patrick Hendry said in a statement, urging him to �steer CCRB toward the fairness required by the City Charter.�

The CCRB appointment is the latest example of Adams shaping city institutions in ways likely to constrain Mamdani�s agenda. This fall, Adams also moved to reconstitute the Rent Guidelines Board with real-estate-friendly members � a maneuver that could delay Mamdani�s signature proposal to freeze rents for stabilized apartments, potentially for years.

Together, the late-term moves reflect a broader strategy: erect structural obstacles that complicate the progressive mayor-elect�s most ambitious plans, from housing to policing.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)